Vacuum pickup



April 21, 1942. ER. M| ER I VACUUM PICKUP -2 Sheets-Sheei'l l Filed June 15, 1940 www Hal April 21, 1942.

' E. R. MILLER VACUUM PICKUP Filed June 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 21, 1942 :rs garan VACUUlVI PICKUP Edgar R. Miller, Chicago, Ill., assigner to F. J.

Lttell Machine Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in an implement or tool for feeding punch presses and the like and has reference particularly to a vacuum pick-up which will have a secure grip upon relatively small metal sheets, plates and other workepieces so that they can be fed without endangering the workmen.

The present device is in the nature of a safety tool since the vacuum created will cause plates, sheets or other' metal articles to adhere to the flexible suction cup and accordingly the 4operator of the tool can insert the same into or withdraw the work-piece from the press without subjecting his hands or fingers to danger. The suction created is produced by a venturi orifice as the rcsuit of the flow through said orice of a iiuid medium such as compressed air under relatively low pressure.

Another object of the invention is to improve the plate lifter shown in my Patent No. 2,200,800 by rearranging the part-s thereof for the greatest eilciency in operation, for accessibility of the parts in case of repair or replacement, and for reasons of economy in case of damage to the suction gripping cups which are constantly exposed to the moving dies of punch presses and like machines,

A more speciic object is to provide a tool or implement of the vacuum pick-up type with improved pistol grip and which will embody as a substantially integral part thereof a venturi member and associated e-lements for creating a vacuum by the flow of air under pressure.

A further object is to provide a pistol grip for a tool as described having a substantially horizontal passage in the head portion for receiving the venturi elements and also having other passages for the flow of the iiud under pressure and a suction passage, all of said passages being so related as to simplify manufacture and produce the most efficient type of device.

With these and various other objects in View, the invention may consist of certain novel features of construction and operation as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved vacuum pick-up-tool of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the interior construction of the pistol grip and suction gripping cup of the tool illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken online fl--ll of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view showing a modiiied form of the invention including an adinstable handle member secured to the pistol grip;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view showing in detail the handle adapter; and

Figure 7 is an end view of the adapter.

Referring to thedrawings, the device of the invention essentially consists of a pistol grip indicated by numeral I0, a tubular supporting arm l2 projecting forwardly from the pistol grip and a flexible gripping cup It suitably supported in depending relation from the supporting arm I2. Upon actuation of the trigger I I air under pres sure from the hose I3 will iiow through the Venturi passage to be presently described, producing a suction which is communicated by the tubular arm I2 to the gripping cup I4. If the cup is placed upon a metal article such as a plate or sheet, or any material substantially impervious to the air, sufficient suction will be created to cause the article toadhere to the gripping cup whereby the same may be bodily lifted by the operator and deposited any place desire-d merely by termination of the suction.

The pistol grip is provided with a cored opening I5 in the handle portion IG thereof for purposes of lightness, whereas, the bore l'l, parallel thereto, connects at one end with the supply hose I3 for air under pressure and at its upper end with a valve chamber i8 having threads I9 for a part of its length threadedly receiving the valve body 2li. rIhe valve plunger 2l having the valve head 2?, is adapted to have axial movement within the valve body so as to move toward or away from the valve seat 23. The valve plungeris backed by a spring 24 and normally the passage I'I is closed ofi at the valve chamber since the spring maintains the head 22 firmly in contact with the seat 23. Actuation of the trigger I l, however, will cause the valve to move axially in-v ward, allowing air to flow past the valve seat into the radial passage 2":3, Figure 4, 'tothe circular connecting chamber 26, and from said chamber it will be observed that the air under pressure may readily flow into the vertical bored opening 21 which in effect provides a continuation of the bore- I1, the same beingintercepted by the trigger actuated valve located in the valve chamber as described.

The bored opening 21 extends vertically downward from the top surface of the head portion 28 of the pistol grip, having communication at its lower end with the valve chamber. Said opening is normally closed at the upper surface of the head portion 28 by the threaded screw 29. A second bored opening 30 is formed in the head portion 28, the same being disposed substantially parallel with opening 21, and which is also closed at its upper end by the threaded screw 3|. The lower end of opening 3D connects with a horizontal passage 32 into which is threaded the coupling member 33. By means of the clamping sleeve 34 the tubular supporting arm I2 is releasably secured to the coupling member and thus to the pistol grip in communicating relation with the horizontal passage 32 comprising the suction passage of the device.

The suction cup block 35 is suitably fastened to the terminal end of the tubular supporting arm i2. By means of the tubular screw 36 and Washer 31 the suction cup is releasably held to the block 35, it being observed that the screw is threaded into said block and that a passage 3B extends axially the length of said screw. As a result of this passage the interior of the flexible suction cup I4 is connected with the bore extending through the arm I2 and thus the suction from r the suction passages 30 and 32 is communicated to the interior of the tube.

In this improved form the venturi member and associated elements are located within a substantially horizontal passage 4|] in the head portion 28 of the pistol grip. Said passage is internally threaded and the rear end of said passage, which is somewhat larger in diameter than the forward portion thereof, receives the jet holder 4| which is suitably locked in proper oriented position by the set screw 42. The venturi member 43 is threaded into the discharge end of passage 4! and is retained in adjusted position by the lock nut 44. The bore through the venturi member is provided with an intermediate reduced section 45 which connects with the terminal end portions of the bore by means of gradually tapering sections 4S. The jet holder 4| has a central opening 41 extending rearwardly from its nose end for substantially the full length of the holder. This central opening at its closed end has communication by means of the radial passages 43 and the circular connecting chamber 49 with the vertical bored opening 21 described as forming a continuation of the opening I1 connecting with the supply of air under pressure. The jet 5D extends forwardly from the central opening A? of the jet holder and is thereby positioned within the bore of the venturi member 43. This association of the jet within the venturi member takes place in advance of the intersection of the vertical opening 30 with the transverse passage 40. As a result the suction produced by the discharge of air from the jet into the bore of the venturi member is accordingly communicated to the suction passages 3E! and 32, to the tubular supporting arm I2 and thus to the ilexible suction gripping cup I 4 In operation of the device air under pressure from the hose I3 will be admitted to the vertical opening 21 only when the trigger is actuated to displace the valve stem 2| with respect to its seat 23 against the tension of spring 24. From the vertical opening 21 the air will oW through radial passages 48v into the central opening `4-1 of the jet holder and through jet 5|] which has an exact adjustment with the member 43 so as to discharge the air into the venturi throat 45. The actual amount of suction will depend upon the pressure of the discharge through jet 5|) and of course the same may be varied by adjusting the relationship of the venturi member with respect to said jet. During the time air under pressure is being discharged through the venturi member the suction gripping cup I4 may be placed upon a metal article such as a sheet or plate and the suction created will be suiiicient to cause them to adhere to the cup so that they will be moved bodily for placement within a punch press or the like.

The suction cup and supporting parts are sometimes damaged since this end of the device is moved into and out of the danger zone of the punch. press many times in the course of a Working day. However, in the present construction any damage to this end of the device is limited to the suction cup only, all the more expensive parts ci the venturi being located within the head portion of the pistol grip. This constructional feature is important in reducing the maintenance cost in connection with the present safety tool. Also by locating the venturi member and associated parts within the head portion of the pistol grip it is possible to service the same as access thereto is relatively easy and manufacturing operations are also simplified.

It is possible to bore all the passages in the pistol grip and only two, namely, I8, providing the valve chamber, and 4U, which receives the venturi member and jet holder, are required to be threaded. The longitudinal bore including the openings I1 and 21 extends from end to end of the pistol grip and has intersecting relation in the head portion of the pistol grip with pas- Sage 49 which extends transversely from one side to the other of the handle. The opening 30 leading to passage 32 and comprising the suction passage also has intersecting relation with the transverse passage and the vacuum producing means located within the transverse passage is positioned relatively close tothis intersection, more particularly to one side of the same, and which is on the side opposite the longitudinal bore. Whatever may be the location of the vacuum producing means within the transverse passage it is necessary that communication be established between the same and the suction passages` In the modication of the invention the pistol grip Iii is provided with an adapter 5| for securing to the pistol grip an auxiliary handle member 52, as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 'I'. The head portion 23 of the pistol grip has a rounded top surface for the greater portion of its length, interrupted at spaced points by upstanding bosses 53 having a iiat top surface, Figure 3. Since the handle adapter is applied to the top surface of the .head portion of the pistol grip the undersurface of the adapter, Figure 7, is formed with a radius 54 which is provided with depressions 55 intermediate its length for receiving the at topped boss 53. In other words, the undersurface of the handle adapter 5| has a shape which is complementary to the upper surface of the handle portion of the pistol grip. It will be unerstood that the screws 29 and 3| are removed before the adapter is positioned on the top surface of the handle portion and in order to hold the same in place on the pistol grip threaded screws 55 and 51 are employed which are somewhat longer than screws 29 and 3| and which extend not only through the handle adapter but also into the threaded openings in the head portion from which the screws 29 and 3| were removed. Accordingly, 56 and 51 may be considered as substitutes for the screws otherwise employed in the pistol grip and which function in a manner similar thereto to hermetically seal the transverse passage 40 in the pistol grip. y

'I'he upstanding flange member 58 is an integral part of the handle adapter which, however, has a thickness substantially one-half thereof in order to accommodate a cooperating flange member 60 on the auxiliary handle 52. Member 58 is formed with a central opening 6| and on its interior surface the same is provided with diametrically spaced lugs 62. The handle 52 has a length substantially the same as the pistol grip and by means of the flange portion 60 it is possible to secure this auxiliary handle to the adapter in one of several adjusted positions. A central opening 63 extends through portion 60 and said opening is aligned with opening 6|, the same receiving a screw 64 whereby the parts are releasably held in associated relationship. 'Ihe interior surface of portion 60 is formed with two groups of recesses 65, the groups being diametrically opposed and adapted to receive the lugs 52 which thereby locks the handle member in any desired position as permitted by the recess.

With the auxiliary handle 52 in an intermediate position, as shown in full lines in Figure 5, the same provides an extension of the piston grip and enables the operator to grasp the device of the invention with both hands. This is desirable for certain classes of work where the articles picked up by the device are relatively heavy. If at any time the operator is required to handle light articles, in which case the auxiliary handle member would be superfluous, the same can be easily removed from the pistol grip by removal of screw 64. This removal of the auxiliary handle however does not change the permanent securement of the handle adapter to the pistol grip.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings, as various other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a safety tool, a member in the form of a pistol grip providing a handle therefor, a longitudinal bore extending the length of the member, a venturi passage extending transversely of the member in the upper portion thereof and intersecting the longitudinal bore, valve means for controlling the flow of a fluid medium through the longitudinal bore, a suction passage in the handle member having communication with the venturi passage, and vacuum producing means in said venturi passage including a jet and a venturi member, the discharge end of the jet having location within the venturi member on the side of the suction passage opposite the longitudinal bore.

2. In a safety tool, a member in the form of a pistol grip providing a handle therefor, a tubular supporting arm extending forwardly of the member for supporting a suction gripping cup, a longitudinal bore running the length of the member, a venturi passage located in the upper portion of the member and intersecting the longitudinal bore, a valve chamber in the member also intersecting the longitudinal bore in advance of ,the intersection therewith of the venturi passage, valve means mounted within said chamber for controlling the flow of a uid medium through the longitudinal bore, a suction passage connecting the venturi passage with said tubular supporting arm, and vacuum producing means in the venturi passage located on the side of the suction passage opposite the longitudinal bore.

3. In a safety tool, a member in the form of a pistol grip providing a handle therefor, a longitudinal bore extending the length of the member, a venturi passage extending transversely of the member in the upper portion thereof and intersecting the longitudinal bore, valve means for controlling the flow of a iiuid medium through the longitudinal bore, a suction passage in the handle member having communication with the venturi passage, a venturi member mounted in one end of the venturi passage and projecting forwardly of the pistol grip, and a jet holder also mounted within the venturi passage in associated relation with the venturi member, said jet holder being insertable and removable from the end of the passage opposite the venturi member.

4. In a safety tool, a member in the form of a pistol grip providing a handle therefor, a longitudinal bore extending the length of the member, a venturi passage extending transversely of the member in the upper portion thereof and intersecting the longitudinal bore, valve means for controlling the ow of a fluid medium through the longitudinal bore, a suction passage in the handle member having communication with the venturi passage, a venturi member mounted in the venturi passage and disposed to one side of the intersection of the suction passage therewith, and a .iet holder mounted in the venturi passage and located to the -`other side of said intersection, said jet holder being insertable and removable from the end of said passage opposite the venturi member.

5. In a device of the character described, a member in the form of a pistol grip providing a handle therefor, a venturi passage extending transversely of the member in the upper portion thereof, a suction passage extending vertically from the top surface of the pistol grip and intersecting the venturi passage, a longitudinal bore also extending vertically from the top surface of the pistol grip and intersecting the venturi ,passage, an adapter having an undersurface shaped for association with the top surface of the pistol grip, and screws for securing the adapter to the pistol grip, said screws having threaded connection with the pistol grip in the openings leading to the suction passage and longitudinal bore respectively.

EDGAR R. MILLER.. 

